Space rockets, mothers-in-law and twenty Bob The Builder costumes were among the unlikely items left behind by customers at Travelodges last year, the budget hotel chain has revealed.

A bath full of Jersey potatoes, a pack of tarot cards and £500,000 in share certificates are also listed as having been inadvertently lost by careless or forgetful guests across the company’s 542 UK establishments.

It may be that having more important matters on their minds makes guests forgetful. A new bride left her mother-in-law at York Central Travelodge, while another bride in Birmingham forgot her wedding necklace, a diamond Mangala Sutra.

A 27 ft ‘Starchaser’ space rocket was discovered by staff in one of the company’s Manchester establishments, while a different guest left his pilot’s licence at Gatwick Airport Travelodge (the hotel manager delivered the licence to the airport).

The business community also shows surprising fecklessness at times - one executive left behind his 50-year-old teddy bear (called Rupert) at Aberdeen Travelodge, and sent his PA to personally collect the vintage bear from London as he could not sleep without him.

Another businessman came back from the Netherlands to collect his lucky (and valued at £8,000) fountain pen as he could not sign any paperwork without it.

Travelodge’s Shakila Ahmed said: “This year’s inventory list includes a WW2 bravery medal, deeds to land in the Scottish Highlands, and a Lionhead rabbit called Bugs Bunny.

“The running theme, our customers do tell us, is that the pace of modern life is so fast and furious that time is of the essence especially when getting from A to B and therefore valuable possessions are easily being forgotten.”